Illumination failure warning device



March 26, 1957 H HERION ILLUMINATION FAILURE WARNING DEVICE Filed 001:.19. 1955 INVENTOR. H5 NRY HER! o N 6mm MM Q H TTORNEY ILLUMINATIONFAILURE WARNING DEVICE Henry Herion, New York, N. Y.

Application October 19, 1955, Serial No. 541,336

9 Claims. (Cl. 340-251) My invention relates to electric light failurewarning devices and is directed more particularly to an automatic devicefor warning of failure of an electric source of iilumination and at thesame time providing an auxiliary or substitute source of illuminationuntil the failure is corrected.

In many places, such as in multiple dwelling buildings, factories,laboratories, hospitals, schools, institutions and other publicbuildings, for example, it is highly desirable or even required by lawto have continuous illumination in hallways, stairways, at entrances,exits, in cellars, etc. The continuous electrical illumination suppliedin such places by the usual filament-type lamps or fluorescent tubes isoften interrupted by burn-outs or breakage without knowledge of thesuperintendent or other person in charge, resulting in a dangerousdarkened condition in the area. in order to eliminate such failure ofillumination and the attendant danger thereof, it is the principalobject of my invention to provide a simple device for use in associationwith a source of electric light which gives an audible warning uponfailure of the light and which also supplies auxiliary lighting uponsuch failure until the fault is corrected.

Another object of my invent-ion is to provide a device of the characterdescribed which can be used with either filament-type lamps orfluorescent tube lamps and which is entirely self'contained, therebyeliminating the necessity for wiring to externally located batteries,bells, trans formers, etc., as required in former warning devices.

Another object is to provide a device of the character described that isgenerally annular in shape and adapted in installation to be mounted insurrounding relation to either the neck of a filament-type lamp and thelamp fixture or to one end of a fluorescent lighting tube.

Another object is to provide a device of the above nature whichcomprises a cylindrical base structure having a vibratory signallingclapper and a cover for the base structure having a spaced cylindricalskirt portion surrounding the periphery of the base structure andadapted to be repeatedly struck by the signalling clapper to provide aloud ringing signal when the device is in actuated or warning condition.

Still another object is to provide a device of the above nature whichcan readily and simply be installed by anyone without the use of toolsand which can be simply plugged in for electrical connection.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent asthe following description proceeds and the features of novelty whichcharacterize my inven tion will be pointed out with particularity in theclaims annexed hereto and forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote correspondingparts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a top view of a device embodying my invention with the endportion of the cover broken away to show interior construction;

Fig. 2 is a side View, with portions of the housing Petented Mar. 26,1957 ice broken away, of the device shown in Fig. 1 installed for usewith a filament-type of electric lamp; and

Fig. 3 illustrates the device adapted for use with a fluorescent tube.

In brief, my invention contemplates the use of a pair of arcuatebi-metallic electric contact elements supported in an annular housing soas to be controlled by heat radiating from a lamp or filament tubeextending through the central opening in the housing. The housingcomprises a shallow, cylindrical base member which contains anelectromagnetic clapper mechanism and sockets for one or more auxiliarylamps. The auxiliary lamps and the clapper mechanism are connected inseries with the bi-metallic electric contacts forming a normally-closedswitch, and a source of current supply, so as to be energized when thelamp or fluorescent tube with which the device is being used fails. Acover having a peripheral skirt spaced from and surrounding thecylindrical base member completes the housing. The clapper extendsthrough an opening in the side of that base member so as to repeatedlystrike the cover when the device is actuated, whereby the cover servesas a bell for giving a loud and clear signal warning of the lampsfailure. The auxiliary lamps serve as temporary lighting until thedefective lamp can be replaced.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the warning device embodyingthe invention comprises a base member it} having an annular wall 12 witha central opening 14, said annular wall being integrally formed with ashort, cyiindrical wall is extending outwardly of the periphery of saidannular wall. A pair of supporting posts 13 are riveted or otherwisesecurely fixed at one end at diamet rically opposite positions againstthe inner surface of the annular wall 12 for the purpose of assemblingthereto a cover member 26, similar in shape to that of base member it?but preferably heavier, and of somewhat larger diameter. To this end theouter ends of the supporting posts 18 are of reduced diameter andthreaded as at 22 for passage through complementary holes in the covermember 21 whereupon said cover member can be secured in place by a pairof thumb nuts 24 to form a housing with said base member. The basemember 10 and the cover 20 are coaxially assembled relative to eachother so that the central opening 26 of said cover member is inalignment with the central opening 14 of said base member. The cover 2bis formed with a short inwardly-extending sleeve 27 surrounding thecentral opening 26. Fitted over the inner end of the sleeve 27 is a thincylindrical sleeve 29 of non-electrically conductive material. Thecylindrical wall 28 of cover 2t is outwardly spaced from the cylindricalwall is of the base member l0, and the inner surface of the annular wall30 of said cover is spaced from the outer edge of said cylindrical wall,whereby the only mechanical contact between said base member and saidcover is through the supporting posts 18.

Means responsive to heat being radiated by a lamp or fluorescent tubepassing through the housing constituted by the base member in and covermember 2% is provided, said means comprising a pair of arcuately spacedbi-metallic elements 32, 34, mounted at one end to an insulating block35 and having their outer ends extend ing toward each other around theouter surface of the sleeve 29 when the cover member 2% is in place.

The outer ends of the bi-metallic elements 32, 34- have electricalcontacts 36, 38, normally in contact engagement with each other (asillustrated in Fig. l) but adapted to separate and break contact (asillustrated in Figs. 2 and 3) when said bi-metallic elements are heatedby normal operation of the fluorescent tube or filament lamp with whichthe device is being used. The electrically insulating sleeve 29 protectsthe bi-metallic elements against damage upon inserting the lamp withwhich the device is to be used. It also ofiers protection againstaccidental shock if a tool should be inserted within the central openingof the housing by mistake.

The insulating block 36 may be secured within the base member 19 as by apair of screw 42. The mounted ends of the bi-metallic elements 32, 34are preferably spot welded to respective mounting lugs 44, fastened tothe insulating block 36 by screws Electrical connection screws 50, 52are threaded in respective I in the lugs 44, 46 for wiring hereinbelowto be 1 The insulating block 36 is also provided with a pair of terminalscrews 54, 56 for anchoring the electrical wiring, as will be moreparticularly described below.

Mounted in diametrically opposed openings in the cylindrical wall 16 ofthe base member 13 are a pair of electrical sockets SS, 66 equipped withlow emergency lighting lamps 62, 6 3, as can best be een in Fig. l. Thecylindrical wall 28 of the cover member 2t": is provided with arcuaterecesses 66, 63 to allow the sockets 58, 60 to extend through.

Secured within the base member 19 at a position opposite the insulatingblock 36 is a magnetic coil unit '76 having a laminated core 72. Thecoil unit is preferably mounted by means of machine screws 74, 76extending through openings in the ends of the core '72 throughrespective sleeve spacers 78, 80, and into the annular wall 12 of thebase member 10. An iron armature 82 having a flexible loop end portion 6riveted or other wise fastened to the cylindrical wall I16 of the basemember it) has its other end bent into a stepped portion 86 extending inspaced relation along one end of the core '72 to be attracted forvibratory motion when the coil 70 is excited by alternating current, ashereinbeiow described. A clapper 83 is fastened to, and extendsoutwardly of, the armature 32. The clapper S8 terminates in a ball 90which extends partially through an arcuate recess 92 in the cylindricalwall 16 of the base member 19. The clapper 88 is so disposed relative tothe cylindrical wall 23 of the cover member 29 that when theelectromagnetic coil 70 is energized by alternating current, thearmature 82 will vibrate and the clapper ball 9! will repeatedly strikethe inner surface of the inner wall to sound a loud and clear alarm.

Considering now the electrical wiring of the device, it will be seenthat an electrical plug 92 is interconnected with the terminal screws54, 56 by a pair of wires 94, 96 extending through an opening 97 in theinsulating block 36 and the annular wall portion 12 of base member 19.The terminal screw 54 is also connected with one terminal each of thesockets 58 and and the coil 60 by insulated wires 98. Hit} and 62respectively. The remaining terminals of each of the sockets 58 and 6t)and the coil 79 are connected to the connector screw by insulated wires104, 106 and 168 respectively. The connector screw 52 connected with.the bi-metallic ele merit 34 is connected to the terminal screw 54 by ashort piece of insulated wire 110. It will thus be apparent that thesockets 58 and 69 and the magnetic coil 7% are all connected in parallelwith the plug 92 through the contacts 38, 40 of the bi-metallic elements32,

As described above, my alarm device may be used with filament-typeelectric lamps or fluorescent tube lamps. in order to apply the devicefor use with filament-type lamps, a screw collar 112 is provided, saidscrew collar being removably fixed against the outer surface of theannular wall 12 of the base member 16 and in surrounding relation withrespect to the opening 14 therein by two or more screws 114 (see Fig.2). Thus, the warning device can readily be screwed upon the threadedend of an electrical adaptor 116. Use of the adaptor 11 convenientlyallows plugging in the electrical plug 92 for energizing the devicewithout the necessity of special wiring. The adaptor 116 is screwed inthe usual ceiling or wall lamp receptacle 118 at the place where thedevice is to be installed. As will be apparent from Fig. 3, when thelamp L is lighted by current supplied through the adaptor 116, heat fromthe neck of the lamp will raise the temperature of the bi-metallicswitch members 32, 34, whereupon they will separate to open theenergization circuit to the auxiliary lighting lamps 62, 64 and thealarm coil supplied through connecting plug 92. When the lamp L burnsout or fails for any other reason other than failure of current supply,the bi-metallic switch members 32, 34 will cool off and thereupon closetheir electric contacts 38, 42 to close the above-described energizationcircuit to the emergency auxiliary lamps 62, 64 and the electromagneticwarning coil 7%. Emergency li iting and audible warning of the lampfailure will .t-ntinue until the inoperative lamp is replaced.

Fig. 3 illustrates the device according to the invention applied for usewith a fluorescent lighting tube T. For this purpose a friction collar120 is used instead of the screw collar 112, said friction collar havingslots 122 allowing resiliency in the collar for secure mounting aboutone end of the tube T. The plug 92 for energizing the device will beplugged into any convenient outlet. The heat radiated from the end ofthe fluorescent tube T when in operation is sufiicient to maintain thecontacts at? open. Failure of the tube T will result in audible warningand emergency lighting by the auxiliary lamps 62, 6 2- as describedabove in connection with Fig. 2.

Obviously many modifications and variations of my invention are possiblein the light of the above teachings. it is therefore to be understoodthat within the scope of the appended claims, the invent on can bepracticed otherwise than as specifically described.

What i claim is:

l. A device for warning of electric lamp failure, comprising an annularstructure having a central opening adapted to receive a body portion ofthe lamp, normally closed electric switch means in said structureresponsive to heat radiated by the lamp when in operation, said switchmeans being operative to open-circuit when the lamp is in operation,electro-rnechanical sounding means in said structure, circuit meansincluding said switch means and said sounding means for energizing saidsounding means when said electric switch means is closed, whereby saidalarm will be sounded upon failure of the lamp, and auxiliary electriclighting means mounted on said annular structure, said electric lightingmeans being connected in parallel with said electro-rnechanical soundingmeans whereby said alarm will be sounded and said auxiliary electriclighting means will be energized upon failure of the lamp.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 including means removably securedto said annular structure for mounting said structure upon an electriclamp receptacle.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 including means removably securedto said annular structure for mounting said structure in surroundingrelation about one end of a fluorescent lighting tube.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said annular structurecomprises a cylindrical base portion and a cylindrical cover portion andspacer means between said cover portion and said base portion forholding said cover portion in spaced relation with respect to said baseportion, said electro-mechanical sounding means being fixed to said baseportion and having a vibratory clapper structure operative to strikesaid cover portion when said electromechanical sounding means isenergized.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 including an insulating sleevewithin said central opening for shielding said heat-responsive switchmeans.

6. In a device for warning of failure of an electric lamp, thecombination comprising, a housing member having an end Wall and aperipheral side wall, a central opening in said end wall, normallyclosed-circuited thermally-controlled switch means within said housingand 5 surrounding said central opening, a centrally-apertured covermember fixed in spaced relation to the end of said housing and having aperipheral portion surrounding said peripheral side wall in spacedrelation thereto, electromagnetic stnke means mounted on said housing,said strike means having a striker ball extending through an opening insaid side wall and being operative to strike the peripheral portion ofsaid cover member, said housing member and said cover member formingtogether an annular structure to receive therein a body portion of theelectric lamp, and circuit means interconnecting said switch means andsaid electromagnetic striker means to energize said electromagneticstriker means when the lamp is inoperative and to de-energize saidelectromagnetic striker means when the lamp is operative.

7. The warning device according to claim 6 including a threaded collarfixed to said end wall in surrounding relation to said central openingtherein, whereby the warning device can be screwed upon the threaded endportion of a filament lamp receptacle.

8. The warning device according to claim 6 including a slotted collarfixed to said end wall in surrounding relation to said central openingtherein, whereby the warning device can be frictionally held insurrounding relation to a fluorescent tube lamp.

9. The invention as defined in claim 6 including an auxiliary lampmounted in said housing member, said lamp being connected in parallelwith said electromag netic striker means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,469,946 Morrison Oct. 9, 1923 1,967,521 Venard July 24, 1934'2,020,164 Stocks Nov. 5, 1935 2,075,669 Smith et al Mar. 30, 19372,171,152 Very Aug. 29, 1939

